CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Clay County school teachers and the school district faced an impasse over salary negotiations.
Clay County School District and the Clay County Education Association (CCEA) met on Tuesday to discuss the issue, but failed to come to an agreement on increasing teachers’ pay.
“Every year the state offers up money because you know we’re 50th and they offered up .54% over what they offered last year. So, it ends up being $1.2 million. The district says this is all the money we have for salaries," Vicki Kidwell with the Clay County Education Association said.
Kidwell added that they regularly deal with teachers who leave the district to work for St. Johns and Duval counties, which offer more competitive salaries.
Kidwell said the current district’s offer is $400-$800 annually for veteran teachers with no salary increases for teachers who have worked for the district for less than nine years.
One idea they had was to take funds from the millage rate hike passed by Clay County voters in 2022 for school security, but that idea was not accepted.
“Other districts have to fund safety and security, too, but they can also fund salaries. So, that was our pushback. How come all these districts can fund safety and security, but also salaries?” Kidwell said.
There have also been criticisms because of a recent state-mandated raise for school superintendents and school board members.
The union tells News4JAX that this issue will now be turned over to the Clay County School Board to moderate and decide on these negotiations, which will likely happen in November.
As a result, the union plans to have teachers and supporters attend the regular school board meeting on Nov. 6th to lay out their thoughts on raises.
News4JAX reached out to the Clay County School District for comment on these various issues and received the following statement:
Our educators are essential partners to Clay County District Schools. We deeply value their dedication, and our goal has always been to provide the most competitive compensation package possible.
While we face unprecedented budget challenges - driven by inadequate state funding impacting districts across Florida - our top commitment is working together to find sustainable solutions. The School Board’s immediate priority is stability: safeguarding employee compensation, retaining all staff, and meeting all financial obligations. We have already taken aggressive steps to address the shortfall through reallocation of positions, deep budget cuts, a thorough review of vendor contracts, and launching campaigns to increase student enrollment, but securing funds for additional compensation beyond the state’s Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSIA) remains difficult.
We are resolute in our commitment to our employees and will continue to collaborate as we navigate this challenge as one team.
Superintendent and School Board Salaries:
We understand and appreciate the question regarding the compensation of the Superintendent and School Board members, especially as we navigate our current budget challenges. It is vital for the public and our employees to know that Clay County District Schools does not have the authority to set or approve the annual salaries or raises for the elected Superintendent or the School Board members.Their compensation is calculated annually by the Florida Legislature under state statute. Any adjustment or “raise” they receive is a function of a formula set at the state level.
Our full commitment remains focused on addressing our financial constraints and prioritizing the competitive compensation of our dedicated educators through our collective bargaining process.
Educators Leaving to Work in Neighboring Counties:
While we do not track precise, real-time data on the exact number of teachers who choose to leave specifically for a higher salary in a neighboring county, our internal numbers indicate that our teacher turnover rate this year is consistent with what we’ve experienced in previous years. We are thankful that Clay County District Schools maintains a high employee retention rate.
We are committed to finding a sustainable path forward during these financial negotiations to ensure that our dedicated educators receive the most competitive compensation package possible.
Clay County School District